Director of Art Partners With Chapman Students to Increase Representation in Permanent Collection Lindsay Shen discusses how partnerships with students and the community are supporting the development of a more inclusive art collection.

In the spring of 2019, a group of Chapman University students approached the Escalette Collection with a specific request: to see and hear from artists they felt were underrepresented in the collection. Escalette Director at Chapman Lindsay Shen was eager to answer the call.

“We’re happy when students talk or write to us to point out gaps in the collection,” says Shen. “It means people are engaging with our work. It’s important to be humble, to look at the statistics and acknowledge that yes, there’s a problem with representation.”

Now, over a year later, the work of imbuing equity into the museum’s fabric continues. Alongside student and community support, the Escalette is doubling down on its commitment to create an inclusive collection.

We talked with Shen about the Escalette’s efforts to make these and other significant changes.

Read more …